The Late Bloomer
by SasuSaku2995
Summary: "Sakura's gone?" Sasuke asked. "I'm afraid so ,Sasuke; however, she told me she would return." Tsunade told the depressed-looking Uchiha. 'But I only came back for her.' Sasuke thought. Love triumphs after new strengths are found. SasuSaku fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**The "Late Bloomer"**

Disclaimer:

Naruto: In no way, shape, or form does SasuSaku2995 own me!

Sakura: No you're right. She pwns you!

Sasuke: Guys focus! She does NOT own DOBE!

Naruto: You BAKA!

Kakashi: Naruto, Sasuke! Watch your language!

Sakura: Quit fighting!

Kakashi: SasuSaku2995 no owny Naruto. Now DON'T SUE HER! BYE!

End of Disclaimer!

Chapter 1 – Sakura What?

"Sakura."

"Yeah, Sasuke?"

"Try and keep up." The black-haired, young man said with his signature smirk.

"After all the training I went through to be a medical ninja, and I'm still weak?"

"A little." Naruto admitted shyly.

"Fine. Ask Kakashi to go on this mission with you two. I'm going to train." Then, the pink-haired young women disappeared.

'They still think I'm weak! I'll show them that I can be just as strong as them! Maybe even stronger!'

Sakura Haruno looked up at Hokage Tower, took a deep breath, and walked up to her sensei's office. Sakura knocked on the door three times, her signature knock.

"Enter."

Sakura entered her old sensei's office and closed the door behind her.

"Sakura, what is it?"

"I want to request a document of leave from Kahona."

"Well I... – WHAT? Why for?" Tsunade asked.

"That's for me to know. But, I'm not even sure." Sakura said truthfully.

"I see. Very well. But, Sakura…" Tsunade put her signature and seal of approval on Sakura's document of leave. "You'll be back …right?"

"As soon as possible, sensei." Sakura told her.

"Very well. If you plan on leaving without a scene, you might want to do that now, before Naruto and them get back from their mission and try to stop you from leaving."

"Very well. Good-bye sensei."

"Good-bye…" the door to Tsunade's office closes, "Sakura…"

Sakura had her backpack along with everything she would need. She heard approaching footsteps. Sakura hid her chakra and her physical appearance in a nearby tree. She saw Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto walk through the gate. They were just beaten up a little. A few cuts and bruises, Sakura resisted the urge to go down and heal them. She watched them walk away. Sakura waited a good ten minutes before she walked out of the only gates that left the little village of Kahona. Then, Sakura took off to the only places she knew she could get enough strength to make everybody impressed. First stop, the Hidden Sound Village. Time to see Orichimaru…

THE

END!

So what you think? Love it? Hate it? Maybe want to rate or review it? Please review! So click that button! Right There!

Author's Notes: Calling all betas! I need some help with my stories! LOL! Well I want at least 5-10 reviews or comments before I write Chapter 2 – Sakura's Back! So review my precious readers, REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:

Sakura: SasuSaku2995 does not own the rights to anything, except the plot of this story.

Naruto: Wait? Sakura? Where the hell have you been?

Sakura: Butt out, DOBE!

Sasuke: Hey! I can only call Dobe, Dobe –Sakura? *sweat drops anime style*

Sakura: *rolls eyes* Anyways… SasuSaku2995 no owny Naruto. Don't sue her, or I'll kick your ass. *Looks at Naruto and Sasuke* Later Losers! *disappears in a puff of smoke*

Sasuke and Naruto: *Sweat drop anime style* what the hell?

Naruto: Wait! Who doesn't own me?

Sasuke: *Sweat drops anime style* SasuSaku2995, Dobe. Later. *Disappears mysteriously*

Naruto: *sweat drops* DON'T LEAVE ME! *Disappears*

End of Disclaimer.

**Bold font = Person's thoughts**

_Italic font = Person's Inner/ Inner's thoughts_

Chapter 2 – Sakura's Back?

"Sasuke." Her moist, pale pink lips whispered in my ear, as she kissed his forehead, "time to get up."

Sasuke woke with a start. He was in his room, by himself.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed, **'just another damn dream! But I really thought it was Sakura.'**

Sakura. She had been gone for over two years now.

_**Admit it, emo boy.**_Sasuke's Inner nagged at him, _**you miss her.**_

"Fine. I miss her." Sasuke said out loud. It didn't make him feel better. He slid out of bed wearing pajama pants and a black t-shirt. Sasuke got dressed for work and was just getting his morning coffee when he heard an annoying banging on his front door. Sasuke ignored it.

"TEME! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! GET YOUR DAMN LAZY ASS OUT OF BED AND OPEN YOUR GOD DAMNED DOOR!" Naruto yelled through the door.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, opened the door.

"What, Naru—… Kakashi? What's wrong?" Kakashi had his ABNU uniform on.

"Lady Tsunade has called you, Naruto, and me to her office immediately."

I turned off the coffee pot and went to reach for my ABNU mask; however, Kakashi interceded and told him:

"You won't need that."

I left the mask.

A few minutes later we arrived at Hokage Tower. We got to Lady Tsunade's office door. I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"IT'S US GRANDMA TSUNADE!" Naruto bellowed.

"Enter."

I heard her whisper something else and a different female voice whispered a response back. I opened the door.

"Lady Tsunade, what is it? Is there something that's wr—?" I was shocked out of my mind because sitting there was none other than…

"SAKURA!" The annoying Naruto practically yelled, and ran up to the pink haired Kinochi and wrapped her in a bear hug and spun her around.

"NARUTOOOOO! Put me down!" Sakura squealed. Naruto put her down. Sakura ran over to Kakashi, removed the ABNU mask and gave him a bear hug and a kiss on his forehead.

"Hey, Kakashi!"

"Good to see you again, Sakura."

Sakura turned to me and just nodded as she said,

"Hey, Sas—!"

She was cut off when I pulled her into my arms. I breathed in her sweet aroma.

"Sas—Sasuke!" She stuttered.

"I've missed you." Sasuke told Sakura truthfully while everybody else gasped, "don't scare me like that again, Sakura, ok?" I asked a breath away from her lips.

"O…Kay?" She said.

"Good." I shocked myself, Sakura, and everybody present when I pressed my lips to Sakura's. I saw her beautiful emerald green eyes go wide in shock then, as the kiss got deeper her eyes softened and finally closed. I broke the kiss and when I saw that Sakura was flushed and a little out of breath, I smirked.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Naruto complained.

"Naruto! What about Hinata?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto went bright red in embarrassment, "right."

"It's about time, Naruto." Was all that Sakura replied.

I took her face in my hands and turned her head so I could look her in the eyes.

"Where were you for the past two years, Sakura?"

Sakura went from flushed and vulnerable-looking to pale and defensive in a blink of an eye.

"I…" Sakura lost her words, and regained them again. "I left to get stronger to impress you guys. I'm way stronger now." She smirked, actually _**smirked**_ at them.

"But…" Naruto began, "how?"

"I can help explain that."

Sasuke looked over by the window. In a chair was a figure of a person. **'Damn it, I'm starting to lose my touch.'**

The figure stepped out into the light and Sasuke almost grabbed his kunai knife and hurled it at the person's heart, before Tsunade looked him in the eyes and shook her head 'no'. Since I couldn't attack the person I did the second best thing, I grabbed Sakura, who was in front of me, by the waist and pulled her behind my body protectively as I stared back into the guy's onyx black eyes, eyes that were starting to change to blood red, that reflected my own swirling, red eyes. My only thought was,

'**What the **_**HELL**_** does **_**ITACHI**_** have to do with **_**SAKURA**_** getting stronger?'**

So what you think?

Love it?

Hate it?

Want to rate or review it?

Then click that button!

Right there!

Author's Notes:

Okay, want to know your honest opinions about this, I'm thinking about writing another fanfic based off this one about what happened to Sakura after she left Kahona and one about what happened to Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and the others while she was gone. Tell me if you think I should go with it or not in your reviews! I won't post the next chapter for this story without 2-3 new comments/reviews about "Late Bloomer." So review my precious readers, REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:

Sakura: What the hell is Itachi doing in the disclaimer?

SasuSaku2995: Because I said so just do the stupid disclaimer already.

Sakura: Fine. SasuSaku2995 does not—

Itachi: Own Naruto or any of the characters or anything related to Naruto, she only owns—

Sakura: The plot of this story so if—

Itachi: You try to sue her, well…

Sakura and Itachi: We will kick your ass!

End of Disclaimer.

**Bold font = Person's thoughts**

_Italic font = Person's Inner/ Inner's thoughts_

Chapter 3- Sakura Say What? 

I looked over Sasuke's shoulder at his older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Evidently, I wasn't the only one who found Itachi's sudden appearance shocking.

"What the hell do you mean 'I can help explain that'? The younger Uchiha asked, "Sakura would die before she'd ever talk to you!"

"Well my younger, naive brother," Itachi started his explanation, "she almost did die, if I hadn't been there to stop Orichimaru and successfully trick him, your little cherry blossom would be dead. Since I saved her life, she thought she owed me, so, knowing that it would not only hurt Kahona, but that it would take a major impact on you, little brother, I asked her to become my apprentice, and look at her now. Almost as powerful as a true Uchiha would be." Itachi finished with a smirk.

I looked around the room to find something to chuck at Itachi's head, and came up short-handed.

'_**Well damn.'**_Sakura's Inner raved,_**'What the **__**hell**__** am I supposed to do now?'**_

Then I noticed that everybody was staring at me with wide eyes filled with shock and awe.

'_**Don't tell me I have a zit on my huge forehead!'**_ Sakura's Inner panicked.

I turned my head to the side and saw the hypnotizing spin of my pupils, as Sasuke and Kakashi bellowed,

"YOU TAUGHT HER THE SHARINGAHN?"

'_**Aw hell.'**_

"Are you guys scared because you know that I'm able to kick your asses? Is that why you're pissed?"

Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi were as red as a tomato.

"NO. We're pissed because you're not supposed to know how to use the Sharingan!"

"Well, if you guys hadn't been thrashing me, then maybe I wouldn't have had to learn the Sharingan!" I bellowed at the bimbos (idiots).

To that they were speechless.

"When you guys REALLY want to talk, come find me."

With that, I left, by jumping out of Lady Tsunade's window, and ran to the only place I could calm down.

Two hours later… I arrived at my destination; the old Team 7's training grounds. I hid in my favorite tree and sat there and thought of nothing and everything. As it started to rain, I cried, very quietly. I didn't hear the approaching footsteps, didn't even hear his voice or see him until he was there. Stroking my face with his pinky finger while wiping away my tears with his thumb, as I looked into his midnight, onyx eyes he said,

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Sasuke." I explained, "Yeah, I know how to use the Sharingan, big freaking deal, get OVER it."

"Sakura—"

"No Sasuke, I've had it up to here with you guys. You, Kakashi, and Naruto have always put me down. You guys just brushed me aside as the weak link, the chink in your armor, WELL YOU KNOW WHAT?" I was now screaming at Sasuke, "I'm not that weak, little girl who couldn't even stop you from leaving Kahona all those years ago! I'm different now, and you can either deal with it, or leave me the HELL alone!"

"Sakura, listen to me—"

"No. I'm tired of being the underestimated girl." I said in a whisper, "I'm tired of being treated like I'm just another replaceable dead weight, and I'm not—"

"SAKURA! DAMN IT, I LOVE YOU! AND YOU'RE NOT REPLACEABLE, YOU NEVER WERE!" Sasuke shouted at me.

"Wh… Wha… What?" I sounded dumbstruck.

'_**You probably look it too.'**_ Inner Sakura said in an exasperated tone.

"Sakura-kun, I LOVE YOU." Sasuke said as he grabbed me and pulled me into his warm embrace, "and I don't plan on ever letting you go again."

I pulled back and looked into the warm, loving, onyx eyes of the guy who I'd been crushing on since we were kids and whispered the only thing that would come to my mind.

"Prove it."

That's when it happened, after dreaming and fantasizing about it since I graduated from the academy; Sasuke's lips met mine in a sweet, tender kiss. When I pulled back to catch my breath, Sasuke moved his lips from mine to my ear as he whispered,

"Do you believe and trust me now?"

The only thing I could manage to do was nod my head 'yes'.

As I thought back to what he said, 'do you believe and trust me now?' As Sasuke leaned into my lips for another kiss I thought, 'Why ask me that of all things?'

I was about ready to ask him too when we heard,

"TEME! Did you find her?" Screamed the always obnoxious Naruto.

We heard footsteps approaching. Sasuke gave me his famous Uchiha smirk and grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"Yeah, Dobe." Sasuke called while I whimpered in protest, "I found her." Then as Sasuke smiled, actually smiled, at me, black stars danced around my vision as my knees gave out and I fell towards the black depths of a nightmare from my past.

So what you think?

Love it?

Hate it?

Want to rate or review it?

Then click that button!

Right there!

Author's Notes:

I would like to thank the following people for favorite-ing and reviewing my story The "Late Bloomer":

WhatChuuKnowBoutMe, tsuchiya-sama, InuKikfan4ever, devilkatkiller, Mizuki-chan Uchiha, shocky808, CherryBlossomDemon93, Miss Palomio, Natascha-chan, SasuLovesSaku4Ever, XxXFiReBeNdErXxX, XBakaNinGyoX, and 101AnimeProductions. If I forgot anyone I am sorry. Send me an e-mail and I'll include you in the next chapter! So I'm going to ask for 4-6 reviews before I write the next chapter. Please my precious readers: REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:

Sasuke: Why are you making me do the disclaimer again?

SasuSaku2995: Because I said so, and as Nike says 'just do it'!

Sasuke: Fine. In no way shape or form does SasuSaku2995 own Naruto or any aspect of the anime or manga you may realize. So don't sue her because if you do I'll worry about avenging my clan later and kill you first.

SasuSaku2995: Thank you! Now on to the story….. I hope.

End of Disclaimer.

**Bold Font = Person's thoughts**

_Italic Font = Person's Inner/Inner's Thoughts_

Chapter 4- Sakura Did What?

'**Oh no, not this place, not again, please no. No!'**

Sakura woke with a start from the nightmare of her past that she never wanted to relive again. The night that Itachi, kind of, 'saved' her, the night that Orochimaru tried to kill her.

"S-S-Sakura-Cha-Chan are-are you o-ok?" Hinata asked.

'**Of course Hinata, I'm fine I just had a flashback of what almost happened to me a couple months ago. When I was almost killed by an evil snake and saved by the most, in my opinion, hated men from the Akatsuki organization. So yeah, I'm peachy keen.'**

'_Somebody's cranky.'_

'**What the hell? I thought I got rid of you?'**

'_Nope.'_

'**Well then where did you go?'**

'_You know, away.'_

'**To where?'**

'_If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret then would it?'_

'**Since when do you keep secrets from me? I'm you!'**

'_Well then, little miss smarty pants, where do you think I went?'_

'**I don't know! That's why I'm asking you!'**

'_And I'm not telling!'_

'**Forget it.'**

'_Later! See you soon!'_

'**I highly doubt that.'**

"Hey Hinata, I'm fine. Thanks, could you get me some water though? I'm parched."

"Su-Sure Sa-Sakura-Chan!"

Hinata left out the door of Sakura's hospital room as she said,

"Naruto and Sasuke will be pleased that you have finally woken. I'll go get them."

'**Great. Now I'm going to have to explain the whole Itachi thing and the whole Sharingan thing! Wonder-freaking-ful! '**

Sakura's hospital door burst open and what she saw frightened her even more than Itachi Uchiha or Orochimaru… her sensei and current Hokage, Tsunade.

'**Ah hell.'**

'_Oooooh you're gonna get it'!_

'**Oh shut up'!**

"Hello, Lady Tsunade. Can I help you?"

"Yes. You can tell me how the hell you got the information on Itachi Uchiha so quickly and how you got him to trust you so much that he'd be foolish enough for him to teach you the Sharingan. Now. Every single detail."

"Of course, Lady Tsunade. I'll tell you all about the S-ranked mission you sent me on, every single detail, but not now. Not here. It's too risky and somebody may over hear us talking."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow bright and early at 5:00 am in my office. We'll talk then."

"Yes, my lady."

"And Sakura….?"

"Yes Lady Tsunade?"

"Welcome home."

Sakura felt tears running down her cheeks as she said, "Thank you mam. It's good to be home."

THE

END!

So what you think? Love it? Hate it? Maybe want to rate or review it? Please review! So click that

Button! Right There!

Author's Notes: I would like to thank the follow people for commenting and/or favoriting my story 'The

Late Bloomer':

Cherry blossom neko, Dogtooth3030, oXoXSasuSakuLoverXoXo, CherryBlossomDemon93,

WhatChuuKnowBoutMe, InuKikfan4ever, XxXFiReBeNdErXxX, SasuLovesSaku4Ever,

Mizuki-chan Uchiha, brokenblackpromises, AliceDaPixie94, angelkimmae, SerenaAngel1993,

101AnimeProductions, XBakaNinGyoX, Miss Palomio, and tsuchiya-sama. I'm sorry if I missed

somebody. If it were not for you my readers, I wouldn't be continuing this story, so keep the

favoriting and reviews coming! And if anybody can give me some advice on how to explain

how Sakura can do the Sharingan or the whole thing with Itachi then please tell me because I'm

on a bit of writer's block. So thanks! And look forward to the chapters to come! And if you want

to ask me any questions about my story leave me a review or send me a message and ask and I

will answer it as best as I can. Thanks again to my readers! I only enjoy writing these stories

because of you guys! Until the next chapter, bye!


End file.
